For four decades, the vibrant notes of a piano and the raucous laughter of students typified life on the second floor of Framingham State University’s Whittemore Library.

"Consonance," Professor Edward Melegian – known to students as "Mad Dog" – would yell out as he played a harmonious chord. "Dissonance," he would shout as he switched to a harsh, foreboding tone.

Fellow professors would shut their doors. People walking in the hallway would stop to listen. And new students would wonder just what they had bargained for as Melegian waved his baton wildly in time to the music of famous composers in his Music Appreciation course.

Wednesday, a standing crowd of colleagues, administrators and students gathered in the library café to show their appreciation for Melegian, who is no longer teaching in room 201 because of his battle with pancreatic cancer.

"There’s not many people I can talk to about chord progressions and triplets," former student Laura Asson said, crediting Melegian for helping her not only appreciate music, but find her way academically.

Now 66, Melegian joined the college at age 27 in August 1974, the year after earning his master’s in music at the Boston Conservatory. "Mad Dog" – given the nickname while teaching junior high in Natick – was one of the most popular professors on campus, people said, because of his passion for music and quirky sense of humor.

"You can’t imagine how many times people (I meet outside FSU) say, 'Is that professor Melegian still there? He was great,'" said art professor Marc Cote.

Cote said the laughter that emanated from room 201 – the sound of Melegian "bringing jazz alive" – inspired him.

"There was no distance between Ed and his students," Cote said. "That became my mission."

Students said Melegian instantly gained their gratitude by making his own (inexpensive) textbook. His practice of infusing humor into every lesson kept his classes packed, they said – even the early morning ones.

"He’s just the most charismatic guy," said music minor Andy Lincoln. "He’ll stop class and start telling the craziest joke. Then the punch line of the joke will show up on a mid-term."

"He would get copies of my exams and take them himself," Te Paske said, scribbling in ridiculous answers that perplexed the professor until he figured out what was going on.

Margie Sudmyer, administrative assistant for the Arts and Music department, said Melegian made every day of work fun for his colleagues.

"He’s greatly missed, because there’s no laughter on the second floor anymore," she said. "He’s irreplaceable."

Administrators thanked Melegian for his devotion to the school – he played piano at most functions, including commencement – and his popular mid-day performances with his "All that Jazz" quintet at the campus church.

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Melegian, who is still teaching some classes online, said he was "overwhelmed" by the coda placed on his career Wednesday.

"Discover what your passion in life is, and do your best to fulfill that," was his message to students.

Brad Petrishen can be reached at 508-490-7463 or bpetrishen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @BPetrishen_MWDN.